About

What is HiveBio?

HiveBio is a community supported Do-It-Yourself (DIY) biology laboratory located in Seattle, Washington. As a non-profit organization, HiveBio opened its doors to the Pacific Northwest DIYbio community in the second half of 2013. The purpose of this community-run lab is to give the currently scattered individuals of the Seattle DIYbio community a central hub to meet and share ideas, as well as provide an accessible and affordable lab space for members to carry out the research and experiments that they would not have the opportunity to do elsewhere.

What the heck is DIYbio?

“DIY Bio is a rapidly growing movement of small teams, individuals or (informal) organizations who independently perform biological engineering. It aims at making biotechnology more accessible through education, the development of low-cost methods and equipment, and revealing the excitement of science.”

What are our objectives?

HiveBio functions as the central laboratory for the Pacific Northwest DIYbio community. Members pay a monthly membership fee in exchange for access to the lab space, equipment, and disposables provided by the organization. Individuals who are not yet members can pay a daily rate for access to the lab and its amenities.

In addition to providing a lab space HiveBio focuses some of its resources on proliferating science education in the Pacific Northwest. Classes, conducted on a volunteer basis by members, are held on a monthly basis at the lab. The long-term goal of the education branch of HiveBio is to expand the education opportunities to include classes taught off-site at educational institutions throughout Seattle. These classes will be offered for a minimal fee.

One major objective of the organization is inclusivity. HiveBio keeps the cost of membership as low as possible in order to be accessible to citizen scientists of a wide array of incomes. It is the intention of the organization to attract individuals of all education levels, from PhD to entry level science enthusiasts. Housing a wide array of knowledge is central to the theme of proliferating science knowledge. Members will be both learning and teaching in this context. We believe that diversity is a key element of science innovation.

HiveBio is also interested in providing a pathway to scientific publication for its members. In addition to providing the space and equipment necessary for research, HiveBio will provide members with information on the steps and protocol required for scientific publication. In some cases, such as group projects, HiveBio officers will handle the submission process for scientific publication.

Safety is also a major objective of HiveBio. In order to ensure the safety of its members, the organization will require each individual to complete a project proposal before being granted use of the space. The Safety Review Board, made up of six educated members of the organization, will review each project proposal. Projects will begin only after unanimous approval by the Safety Review Board, documented review of lab safety protocol, and in some cases the completion of an online lab safety curriculum. In addition, a designated safety officer will be present any time the lab is open for operation.